Meta

Ottawa Police break sleeping man's bones

Posted by Zoom! on August 16, 2011, at 3:19 pm |

Once again, there are more horrifying allegations of brutality lodged against members of the Ottawa Police Service.

A woman and her teenaged daughter found a man sleeping on the sidewalk early Saturday morning. She called 911, expecting the police would help the man. When they arrived, according to the woman, they shoved him around and pushed him face forward into the pavement while his hands were behind his back so he couldn’t break his fall. His face broke.

The woman says the man had been quiet and non-violent.

She actually had to place a second call to 911 to report what she was witnessing and to get the police to protect the man from the police who were assaulting him. Ambulances, police and fire trucks all responded quickly to the second call. The man was transported to hospital.

A sleeping man ends up with broken bones, and assault charges were laid against him.

The woman’s daughter took photographs as the man’s blood was hosed off the sidewalk.

The SIU is investigating.

The whole thing makes me sick. I’m growing more and more disgusted with the Ottawa Police as each new allegation of brutality surfaces. And yes, I know they’re not all thugs, and I know they are considered innocent until proven guilty. But this woman comes across as a very credible witness, and I believe her.

I’ve said it before: the good cops have to stop protecting the bad cops. As long as they keep covering for them, they’re going to be painted with the same brush – and deservedly so.

2 comments to Ottawa Police break sleeping man’s bones

Thanks Zoom. Like you, I’m inclined to think most cops are considerate and dutiful. That was certainly my experience when I ran afoul of the law.(My cop was a young woman constable, diligent to be sure, but graceful.) However it’s pretty clear there are no-good-niks among them who overstep their authority to get their macho ya-yas out when a defenceless individual comes their way.

A few times over the years I’ve witnessed cop-citizen altercations and always made my presence as a witness known, staying back but obviously watching. I like to think it might have tempered the situations a bit – no one was thumped dramatically on the corners where I stood,and once, at least,the cowering lad had a nod from me that he was in no way involved in the fracas down the street.

I’d be a bit more wary these days to do so, especially taking photos, since it seems the goons among them have little compunction about making free and easy with their power.

Good on Ms Doucette and her daughter for raising a stink. And to you for bringing it to our attention.

I’ve refrained from commenting here since the Stacy Bonds story broke and the Chief (and Chair of the Police Service Board) felt it was just fine to travel to Europe for White’s wedding. Our then freshly elected mayor immediately and foolishly leaped aboard the teflon chief’s bandwagon. Stunningly, White was quickly “rewarded” (WTF?!) with a fat long-term contract renewal.

I argued at the time that the chief’s behaviour demonstrated an egregiously cavalier disregard for his management responsibilities and set an particular atrocious example for his command staff and the force at large. The message delivered was unambiguous: he is more important that our police force.

It was clear even those 9 months ago, that OPS had a senior management crisis. The multiple subsequent revelations of police abuse serve as quite damning confirmation Chief White is either unable or unwilling to clean up our police force.

When such organisations fail and fail repeatedly, the diagnosis is clear: Management problem.

It’s far overdue for our meek mayor and PSB to face this reality before some innocent gets killed.